Here’s Roll Call:
VRA Pulled From House Calendar
Wednesday, June 21; 3:54 am
House leaders have pulled consideration of the Voting Rights Act reauthorization from the calendar following a contentious Republican Conference meeting Wednesday morning.
“This morning we heard from several of our members regarding the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and they asked for more time to discuss and review the bill,” Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a statement. “We have time to address their concerns. Therefore, the House Republican Leadership will offer members the time needed to evaluate the legislation.”
According to Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.), rank-and-file GOP lawmakers voiced objections because reauthorization of the landmark 1965 law would not be considered under an open format that would allow for an unlimited number of amendments.
“It could be questioned whether a majority of the majority wanted to vote on this in such a rapid, hamstrung way,” Westmoreland said.
The Rules Committee approved a debate structure late Tuesday night that would allow for an extended 90-minute period of debate, as well as the consideration of two amendments.
Those amendments, authored by Westmoreland and Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.), seek to redefine a major portion of the law requiring the Justice Department to approve any changes to voting practices in certain states.
It remains unclear when the measure will return to the House calendar, however, as GOP leadership did not announce an expected date.
A Boehner spokesman said the legislation will be rescheduled “as soon as possible,” but added that Members’ concerns must first be addressed. Select provisions of the Voting Rights Act which much be renewed under the legislation do not expire until August 2007 at the earliest, he noted.
— Jennifer Yachnin Copyright 2006 (c) Roll Call Inc. All rights reserved.